Summit Agenda

Join this year’s gathering of the industry’s most powerful MBE manufacturers, innovators, leaders, and entrepreneurs, designed to connect you with the individuals who are shaping and transforming the industry.

SUNDAY, AUG. 13

The Commerce Club

6:00 pm

Opening Reception & Awards Ceremony

Celebrate and honor MBE manufacturers and individuals who have contributed to the manufacturing industry in a significant way in the areas of Legacy, Breaking the Mold and Making a Difference.

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MONDAY, AUG. 14​

Georgia Tech Global Learning Center

8:00 am

Registration, Networking Breakfast, Poster Walk featuring MBE Manufacturers

Place your company in front of a national audience by participating in our annual Poster Walk competition.

Enter the Poster Walk Competition

8:45 am

Summit Kickoff & Welcome Remarks

David Bridges, Vice President, Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2), Vice President for Innovation, Georgia Advanced Technology Ventures (GATV), Principal Faculty Member, Research and Extension

Donna M. Ennis, C.P.F., Director, Diversity Engagement and Program Development; Co-Director, Georgia Artificial Intelligence Manufacturing Corridor (Georgia AIM); and Operator Representative, Georgia MBDA Business Center

Jennifer Pasley, Project Director, Georgia MBDA Business Center

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9:05 am

Opening Remarks

Donald R. Cravins, Jr., Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).

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9:20 am

Keynote: The New Collar Worker

Denise (Rice) Hall, President & CEO of Peak Performance, Inc., and Operator of the Smart Factory Institute

Hear from keynote speaker Denise Hall as she breaks down the The New Collar Worker and the impact on manufacturing today and tomorrow.

The industry-changing impacts of Industry 4.0 advancements can only be fully realized when there are corresponding changes in the manufacturing workforce. In general, these impacts are likely to be seen and experienced in terms of changes to the design of manufacturing work, the manufacturing worker experience, critical worker knowledge, skill, ability, competency requirements, and numerous other talent management considerations involving talent acquisition, retention, and training/development needs. The positive impacts of Industry 4.0 technologies on manufacturing will only be realized if the existing workforce can be reskilled and retained, the size and training of the emergent workforce is tuned to meet the new demands, and manufacturing rebrands itself to attract and retain the transitional worker. 

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9:50 am

Fireside Chat: Solutions to Workforce Disruptions in Manufacturing

Speaker: Latesa K. Bailey, J.D., M.B.A., Senior Manager and Head of Department for Human Resources, Kia Georgia, Inc.

Speaker: Philip Paradice, Director, SE Regional Office, Economic Development Administration

Moderator: Donna M. Ennis, C.P.F., Director, Diversity Engagement and Program Development; Co-Director, Georgia Artificial Intelligence Manufacturing Corridor (Georgia AIM); and Operator Representative, Georgia MBDA Business Center

Bring your manufacturing workforce questions and participate in a timely and relevant discussion around workforce solutions at our Fireside Chat, Solutions to Workforce Disruptions in Manufacturing. Engage with presenters at the forefront of workforce development for the future and discuss workforce challenges in the manufacturing industry and potential solutions for you and your business, including:

  • Build Back Better Regional Projects
  • Good Jobs Challenges
  • Regional Tech Innovation Hubs
  • Build to Scale
  • and more!

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10:20 am

Break, Poster Walk featuring MBE Manufacturers

Place your company in front of a national audience by participating in our annual Poster Walk competition.

Enter the Poster Walk Competition

10:40 am

Panel Session: Building Your Workforce with Innovative Workforce Approaches

Workforce is the most challenging area for manufacturers and other industries today. This session will examine different and unique approaches to recruiting, training, and retaining a workforce for manufacturing. Panelists will discuss engaging low wealth communities and formerly incarcerated individuals for successful employment, utilizing immersive technologies to transform the workplace, and workforce challenges and solutions in general.

Moderator: Patric H. Stadtfeld Vice President and Head of Supply Chain Management, USA & Americas Siemens Corporation

Panelist: Steven Ferguson, Chief Information Officer, Technical College System of Georgia

Panelist: Sheila Jordan, CEO, Knowledge Architects

Panelist: Regan Brewer-Johnson, President, Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC)

Panelist: Marcus Sheanshang, President & CEO, JBM Packaging

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11:25 am

DOE Snapshot: Deploying Resources to Strengthen, Transition, Scale, and Grow the Manufacturing Industrial Supply Chain

Learn about the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Manufacturing & Energy Supply Chain’s programs and funding opportunities to support your manufacturing business in transitioning and growing within the clean energy sector.

Speaker: Robert Sozanski, Supply Chain Deployment Manager in the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains at the U.S. Department of Energy

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11:45 am
Networking Lunch
1:30 pm

Fast Pitch One-on-One Meetings

The most popular offering of the Summit, Fast Pitch offers you the opportunity to engage with major corporations, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and suppliers in the Fortune 1000 space and beyond. Participants will have 15 minutes to meet with companies and pitch their products and services. 

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5:00 pm — Adjourn

TUESDAY, AUG. 15

7:30 am - 2:30 pm

Manufacturing Tours

Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners

AI Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AIMPF) at Georgia Tech

We saved the best for last! The Manufacturing Tour was created in 2018 to highlight ways to implement innovation in the daily manufacturing process. You’ll get a first-hand, on-the-ground look at the cutting-edge technologies and ideas from our tour participants Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners and the AI Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AIMPF) at Georgia Tech.